142 THE BIRDS OF DORSET. 



Herring, Fleet, Chickerel, and Wyke Regis. It is pro- 

 bably the remains of a valley encroached upon by the 

 sea before the Chesil Bank was thrown up. It is well 

 adapted for the support of wild-fowl, and has been 

 frequented by swans from a very early date. There 

 are records of a Swannery long previous to the Refor- 

 mation, of which the Abbots of the neighbouring 

 monastery were possessors. At its dissolution, Henry 

 VIII. granted it to Giles Strangways, ancestor of the 

 present owner, who raised the number of swans in 

 the course of fourteen years from 800 to 1 500. The 

 Swannery was the subject of litigation in the thirty- 

 fourth year of Elizabeth. In the case of the Queen 

 and Lady Young, widow, and T. Saunger (which 

 is recorded in Coke's Reports, part vii. p. 15), an 

 office 1 was formed at W., in county of Dorset, iSth 

 September, 3 2 Elizabeth, before Sir Matthew Arundel 

 and other Commissioners of the Queen under the 

 Great Seal, that in the village of Abbotsbury there is 

 a mere or fleet, into which the tide ebbed and flowed, 

 and which is frequented by 500 swans, of which 410 

 are white (adults) and 90 cygnets, and which are in 

 the possession of Joan Young and T. Saunger, and 

 are about the value of 2s. 6d. each, and were un- 

 marked at the time of the Inquisition. A writ was 

 directed to the Sheriff of the county of Dorset to seize 

 all the said white swans which are not marked. The 

 Sheriff returned that he had seized 400 white swans. 

 To which afterwards, in Hilary Term, 34 Elizabeth, 



1 An Inquisition made to the King's use of anything by virtue of his 

 office. 



